Children Healthcare Services

Healthcare is neither easily accessible nor affordable for many people families living in the rural, slums and semi-urban areas in Uganda. As a result, an overwhelming number of Uganda people never receive proper healthcare.

Beacon of Hope Uganda strives to improve the healthcare conditions of children and adults in these communities through various projects. By running mobile dental and medical clinics alongside health education workshops, financing medical operations and immunization camps for children, we help to improve healthcare conditions in hard to reach areas.

People in villages, slums and semi-urban areas face health concerns that diminish their ability to improve their lives whereas the quality of health influences the quality of life for any individual and subsequently impact development for a community.

HIV/AIDS, Malaria, childhood illnesses such as measles, tetanus, parasitic diseases and malnutrition devastate communities. HIV/AIDS in particular has caused immeasurable damage. Large numbers of HIV-related illnesses and deaths from AIDS have had a particular impact on education and agriculture, overburdening community resources.

We are always grateful to our partners Volunteering Solutions (India), howareyou (Germany), Go Volunteer Africa (Uganda) and The Society for Environmental Exploration (Frontier-UK) with their strong support Beacon of Hope Uganda have been a safe haven for families who are not able to afford medical treatment and healthcare services for their children for several years.

GIVE A LIFE PROJECT

Through our Give A Life project, Beacon of Hope Uganda is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda. Medical treatment funding is provided through select local hospitals and healthcare centers and the project is possible with support from our generous donors and supporters.

Beacon of Hope Uganda provides critical medical treatment funding to hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda. We envision a world where every child has access to medical care regardless of social status. We dream of a future where all children of Uganda are healthy through comprehensive medical services programs.

Without a program like this in Uganda, many women, children and families would not have ready access to quality primary healthcare, complex laboratory services and preventive health services.

It is imperative that we continue to provide medical services to this vulnerable population; however, we need your help to continue to make this possible. Your contribution will allow us to continue to provide medical support services to those who are most in need.

BoHU IMMUNIZATION CAMPS

Babies are born with protection against some diseases because antibodies (proteins made by the body to fight disease) were passed to them by their mothers through the placenta. After birth, breastfed babies get the continued benefits of more antibodies in breast milk. But in both cases, the protection is temporary.

Immunization (vaccination) is a way to create immunity to some diseases. Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition are the primary killers of children in rural Uganda. These children die because they are poor, they do not have access to routine immunization or health services, their diets lack sufficient vitamin A and other essential micro-nutrients, and they live in circumstances that allow pathogens (disease-causing organisms) to thrive.

The government of Uganda has tried to distribute free vaccines to local health centres in some parts of the country and these vaccines are provided to all children at no charge but still many rural communities do have access to this service.

Since 2011, Beacon of Hope Uganda has helped facilitating immunization program for children in rural communities of Uganda saving an estimated 100,000 children. Despite our progress, several children in rural areas of the country are still dying from vaccine-preventable diseases every day.

We are also carrying out massive sensitization in unreached communities about the value of immunization as some families just prevent their children for getting the necessary vaccines.

Extreme poverty is keeping many vulnerable children from getting the vaccines that can protect them from diseases such as measles, whooping cough and pneumonia.

Beacon of Hope Uganda is playing a key role in the prevention of disease through facilitating access to vaccines and immunization activities.

Under this program, Beacon of Hope Uganda purchases vaccines at a discount and distributes them to small rural clinics, provides transport to nearest government medical stores to take vaccines to the unreached communities and sometimes provides transportation for the children to reach the nearest health centre or clinic.

HOPE MOBILE HEALTH - PROJECT

Beacon of Hope Uganda has set up activities with both small health clinics and large government hospitals across the country. Together we arrange Village Health Talks Outreaches (VHTO), Mobile Clinics Camps and so many other interventions. All our projects have one similar goal of improving the provision of healthcare and of preventative health education to underserved populations across Uganda.

Our nurse, health counselors, social workers and volunteers conduct rotate in communities teaching basic health tips and provide medical services to various communities in need. These village workshops usually focus on personal and household hygiene and sanitation- washing hands, cleaning house and compound to remove stagnant water that usually becomes breeding ground for mosquitoes that transmit malaria, boiling water for drinking, washing hands after using latrines, food preservation, etc.

Treatment ranges from providing pain relief and cough medicines, de-wormers, with medication such as antibiotics, anti-malarial and mosquito nets, antacids, anti-infections for more complicated conditions.

VOLUNTEER ON A HEALTHCARE PROJECT

Volunteers with professional credentials, or those currently enrolled in medical/nursing school are welcome. The type of hands on work you will be allocated will depend to an extent on your own abilities and capabilities, which is understandable given that you will be dealing with patient health and safety.

Volunteers/Interns are not allowed to perform the major identification or surgery works. Most of the time volunteers help doctors or work as an assistant to doctors. You will be involved in aspects of the day-to-day running of the hospitals, observing or directly assisting, where possible. You can help out in simple but practical ways, vastly increasing your own knowledge and understanding of medical practice.

Volunteers measure BP, temperature, height, weight assist doctors and medical staffs with health center tasks. You also help in health camps (if any), distribute medicines, provide tips to patients on health, nutrition and sanitation and counseling patients, and involve yourself in the treatment for minor injuries or wounds and keeping patient records.

Your exact role within the hospital or clinic will be determined by your level of medical experience as well as by the enthusiasm and effort which you show to the local staff. Pre-university interns usually start by observing the doctors and nurses. You may find more practical opportunities arise once you get to know the local staff and if you can demonstrate a good understanding of local medical conditions.

Facilities within the hospitals and clinics are basic and treatments are sometimes not of the standard we would expect in developed world. You should be prepared to see some shocking cases, and try not to get emotionally involved with the patients. Your working hours will usually be decided on a weekly basis and most volunteers work from Monday to Friday and have the weekends free.

There is an obvious lack of manpower and resources in the local hospitals, which are located in the outer city areas and villages. Since many health centers lack modern facilities, or have broken equipment and lack of staff, the placements are very challenging. Volunteers need to bring their own medical equipment, gloves, lab coat, medical scrubs and appropriate shoes.

Volunteering Program Length:

From 4 weeks to 12 weeks

Volunteering Program Date:

Flexible Start & End Date

Working Schedule:

Monday-Friday, 3-6 hours per day

Accommodation type:

Volunteers' House or local trusted host family

Meals:

3 meals are provided everyday (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Age requirement:

18 years (minimum) and above

To start the volunteer application process, click here for the volunteer application form.